CHAPTER XIII--WHAT CAME THROUGH THE SCREEN
Jacobs come in late that afternoon.
"Say," says he, "there was a sample of the Eureka screen in Parkinson'soffice when I was there just now. He wouldn't say who left it oranything about it. When I asked he grinned and winked. That's all.Confound his fat head! Do you know where it came from?"
"I can guess," I says; and then I told him the whole yarn. He was assurprised as I was to find out that Geo. Lentz was a female; but it onlymade him madder than ever--if such a thing's possible.
"Wants to be treated like a man, does she?" he says. "All right; we'lltreat her like one. She may be Georgianna, but she'll get just what wascomin' to George."
"Then you won't agree to puttin' in the bids and lettin' it go at that?"
"I'll agree to get that screen contract, all right!" says he, emphatic.
I was kind of sorry for Miss Lentz; but Jim Henry was my partner, sothere wa'n't nothin' more to be said. We didn't mention the subjectagain for two days. However, I did hear from the Eureka agent durin'that time. 'Twas 'Dolph that I got my news of her from. I was tellin'Mary Blaisdell about her and Cahoon happened to be standin' by.
"So she boards here in Ostable," says Mary. "I wonder where."
Afore I could answer 'Dolph spoke up. "She's stoppin' at Maria Berry's,down on the Neck Road," he says.
"How did you know?" I asked.
He looked sort of silly. "Oh, I found out," says he, and walked off.
The very next evenin', as I was strollin' along the sidewalk, smokin' mygood-night pipe, I happened to see somebody turn the corner from theNeck Road and hurry by me. I thought his gait and build were prettyfamiliar, so I turned and followed. When he got abreast the lightedwindows of the billiard saloon I recognized him. 'Twas 'Dolph, alltogged out in his Sunday-go-to-meetin' duds, light fall overcoat andall.
"Humph!" says I to myself. "So that's how you knew, hey? Been callin' onher, have you? Well, she may not hanker for my sympathy, but she has itjust the same. I swan, I thought she had better taste! I'm surprised!"
The followin' mornin', however, I was more surprised still. I had anerrand that made me late at the store. When I came in who should I seetalkin' together but Jacobs and a young woman; the young woman was MissGeorgianna Lentz. They ought to have been quarrelin', 'cordin' to allreasonable expectations; but they wa'n't. Fact is, they seemed asfriendly as could be. You'd have thought they was old chums to see 'em.
Georgianna sighted me fust.
"Good mornin', Cap'n Snow," says she. "Mr. Jacobs and I have made eachother's acquaintance, you see."
"Yes," says I, doubtful. "I see you have. I cal'late you think it's kindof unreasonable, our not--"
Jim Henry cut in ahead of me quick as a flash.
"Miss Lentz and I have been goin' over the matter of screens forParkinson's hotel," he says. "I tell her that her proposition suits usdown to the ground."
Over I went on my beam-ends again. All I could think of to say was:"Hey?"--and I said that pretty feeble.
"It is very nice of you to do this," says Georgianna. "It makes it somuch easier for me. Of course, when I decided to make business mylife-work, I realized that I might be called upon to do disagreeablethings like--like wire-pullin', and so on, which some business peopledo; but honorable rivalry is so much better, isn't it?"
"Sure!" says Jacobs, prompt. "Yes, indeed."
"So it is all settled," she went on. "Our bids are to go in on the sameday; and meantime neither of us is to call on Mr. Parkinson or to meethim--in a business way, I mean."
I nodded, bein' still too upset to talk; but Jim Henry spoke quick andprompt.
"What do you mean," he asks--"in a business way?"
"Why," says she--and it seemed to me that she reddened a little--"I meanthat--well, if we should meet him by accident we wouldn't talk aboutscreens or the hotel contract. Of course one can't help meetin' peoplesometimes. For instance, I happened to meet Mr. Parkinson yesterday. Hehad driven over and happened to be in the vicinity of the house where Iboard. I was goin' out for a walk, and he stopped his horse and spoke."
"Oh," says I, "he did, hey?" Jim Henry didn't say nothin'.
"Yes," she says; "but I didn't talk about the contract. Though ouragreement wasn't actually made then, I hoped that it would be. Goodmornin'; I must be goin'."
She started for the door, but she turned to say one more thing.
"Of course," she says, decided, "it is understood that you haven'tagreed to my proposal simply because I am a girl. If that was the case Ishouldn't permit it. I insist upon bein' treated exactly as if I were aman. You must promise that--both of you."
"Sure! Sure! That's understood," says Jacobs.
I said "Sure!" too, but my tone wa'n't quite so sartin. She went out,Jim Henry goin' with her as fur as the door. I follered him.
"Say," says I, "next time you turn a back somerset like this I'd like toknow about it in advance. I've got a weak heart."
He didn't answer me at all. He was starin' down the road, just as 'Dolphhad stared when the Eureka agent called the fust time.
"Say, Jim--" says I. He didn't turn or move; didn't seem to hear me. Itouched him on the shoulder and he jumped and come about.
"Eh--what?" he says.
"Nothin'," says I, "only I want to know why--that's all."
"Why?" says he. "Oh!--you mean what made me change my mind? Well, I justthought it over and decided we might as well agree. Agreein' don't doany harm, you know. Hey, Skipper? Ha-ha!"
He slapped me on the shoulder and laughed. The laugh seemed too big forthe joke and sounded a little mite forced, I thought.
"Yes, yes! Ha-ha!" says I. "But your changin' from lion to lamb sosudden--"
"What are you talkin' about? I've got a right to change my mind, ain'tI?"
"Sartin sure. But you was so set on gettin' that contract."
"Well, I ain't said I wasn't goin' to get it, have I? We're goin' to putin a bid, ain't we? What's the matter with you?"
"Nothin' at all; but _your_ breakfast don't seem to have set extry well!However, it takes two to make a row, and I'm peaceful, myself. What doyou think of the rival entry? Kind of a nice-appearin' girl--don't youthink so?"
He whirled round and looked at me as if he thought I was crazy.
"Nice-appearin'!" he says. "Nice-ap--Why, she's--"
Then he pulled up short and headed for the back room.
Nothin' of much importance happened for a while after that. And yetthere was somethin'--two or three somethin's--that had a bearin' on thecase. One was the change in 'Dolph Cahoon. For a few days after thatnight I met him on the road he was as gay and chipper as a blackbird ina pear tree--happy even when I made him work, which was surprisin'enough. And then, all to once, he turned glum and ugly. Wouldn't speakand seemed to be broodin' over his troubles all day long. I had mysuspicions; and so, one time when him and me was alone, I hove over alittle mite of bait just to see if he'd rise to it.
"Seen anything of the Lentz girl lately?" I asked, casual.
"Naw," says he, "and I don't want to, neither! She's a bird, she is! Toostuck up to speak to common folks. Everybody's gettin' on to her--youbet! She won't make many friends in this town."
I grinned to myself. Thinks I: "I guess, young man, Georgianna's handedyou your walkin' papers. You won't go down the Neck Road any more!"
And yet, an evenin' or so after that, I see somebody go down that road.I didn't see him plain, but I'd have almost taken my oath 'twas JimHenry Jacobs. It couldn't be, of course--and yet--
Well, two days later, I took back the "yet." I happened to be standin'at the side door of the store, lookin' across the fields, when I saw anauto with two people in it sailin' along the crossroad from theeast'ard. 'Twas a runabout auto--and I looked and looked! Then I calledto 'Dolph.
"'Dolph," says I, "come here! Who's automobile's that? If I didn't knowMr. Jacobs was off takin' orders in Denboro I should say 'twas his."
'Dolph looked.
"Get out!" says I. "The softness of your heart has struck to your head.It's likely he'd be takin' her to ride, ain't it!"
And then Jacobs looked up and sighted us standin' in the doorway. Hismachine hadn't been goin' slow afore--now it fairly jumped off theground and flew. In a minute there was nothin' but a dust-cloud in theoffin'.
He came in about noon. I didn't say nothin', but I guess my face wasenough. He looked at me, turned away--and then turned back again.
"Well," he says, loud and cheerful, "you saw us, didn't you? I was goin'to tell you, anyway, soon as I got the chance."
"Oh," says I, "I want to know!"
"Sure, I was. Of course you see through the game."
"The game?"
"Why, yes, yes! The game I'm playin'--the game that's goin' to get usthat screen contract! Oh, I wasn't born yesterday. I knew a thing ortwo. This--er--Lentz girl and you and me have agreed not to go nearParkinson till the contract's given out; but Parkinson ain't promisednot to go near her! He's been over there two or three times lately, andthat won't do. He's a widower, and--"
"A widower!" I put in. "What's that got to do with it?"
"Oh, nothin'--nothin'. Just a joke, that's all. But I realized rightaway that she and he mustn't be together or he'll make her talk screensin spite of herself, and that'll be dangerous for us. So, says I tomyself, 'Jim Henry,' says I, 'it's up to you. You must keep her out ofhis way.' That's why I've been goin' to see her once in a while and--andtakin' her to ride, and--and so on. See? Oh, I'm wise! You trust yourold doctor of sick businesses."
He'd been talkin' a blue streak. Seemed almost as if he was afraid I'dsay somethin' afore he could say it all. Now he stopped to get hisbreath and I put in a word.
"So," says I, slow, "that's why you're doin' it, hey? But ain'tthat--You know you promised to treat her just as if she was a man!"
"Well, ain't I?" he snaps--hotter than was needful, I thought. "If shewas a man I'd make it my business to keep her in sight, wouldn't I?Well, then! I never saw such a chap as you are for lookin' for troublewhen there isn't any."
He stalked off. I follered him; and as I done so I noticed 'Dolph Cahoonduck behind the calico counter. I judged he'd heard every word.
The finishin' work on the hotel hustled along and inside of a month wegot word that 'twas time to put in our bid. Jacobs and I figured andfigured till we got the price down to the last cent we thought it couldstand, and then we sent our proposition over to Parkinson by mail.
"Wonder if Miss Georgianna's sent hers in," I says, casual.
"Oh, yes," says Jim, prompt; "she is goin' to mail it this morning'."
I didn't ask him how he knew. His chasin' round and keepin' watch on agirl who was as fair-minded and square as she was had always seemed toomuch like spyin' to please me, and I cal'lated he knew how I felt--atany rate he'd scurcely spoke her name since the day when I saw 'emautoin' together. But now I did say that, so long as the bids was in, itwouldn't be necessary for him to keep his eye on her any longer.
He looked at me kind of queer. "Umph!" he says; "maybe not!" And hewalked away to attend to a customer.
That afternoon he took his car and went off on his reg'lar order trip toDenboro and Bayport and round. 'Dolph Cahoon and I was alone in thefront part of the store. 'Dolph seemed to be in mighty good spirits--forhim--and kept chucklin' to himself in a way I couldn't understand. Atlast he says to me, lookin' back to be sure that Mary Blaisdell, in thepost-office department, couldn't hear--
"Cap'n Zeb," he says, "what would you give the feller that got thescreen contract for you?"
"Give him?" I says. "What feller do you mean--Parkinson? I wouldn't givehim a cent! I ain't a briber and I don't think he's a grafter."
"I don't mean Parkinson," he says, chucklin'. "But, suppose somebodyelse had been workin' for you on the quiet, what would you give him?"
I looked him over.
"Look here, 'Dolph," says I; "I never try to guess a riddle till I hearthe whole of it. What are you drivin' at?"
He grinned. "I know who's goin' to get that contract," he says.
"You do. Who is it?"
"The Ostable Store's goin' to get it. Your bid's a little mite thelowest. Parkinson told me so last night."
"Parkinson told you!" I sung out. "How did you happen to see Parkinson?"
He winked.
"Oh, I saw him!" says he. "I've seen him a good many times lately. Imade it my business to see him. He was pretty stuck on the Eureka till Igot after him and I cal'late he'd have contracted for Eurekas, bid or nobid. But I put in my licks; I've drove over to West Ostable four nightsand two Sundays in the last fortni't. And didn't I preach Nonesuch tohim! He-he! You bet I did! And last night he said he was goin' to giveus the job. Oh, I fixed that stuck-up Georgianna Lentz! I got even withher. He-he-he!"
I never was madder in my life. I took two steps toward him with my fistsdoubled up.
"You whelp!" says I--and then I stopped short. The Lentz girl herselfwas walkin' in at the front door.
"Good mornin', Cap'n Snow," she says, holdin' out her hand. She paid nomore attention to 'Dolph than if he'd been a graven image. "Goodmornin'," says she. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"
I was past carin' about the weather.
"Miss Georgianna," says I, "I'm glad you come in. I've got somethin' totell you. I've got to beg your pardon for somethin' that ain't my faultor Mr. Jacobs', either. You and my partner and me had an agreement notto go nigh Parkinson or try to influence him in any way. Well, unbeknownto me, that agreement has been broke."
She stared at me, too astonished to speak.
"It's been broke," says I. "That--that critter there," pointin' to'Dolph, "has been sneakin--"
'Dolph's face had been gettin' redder and redder, I cal'late he thoughtI'd praise him for his doin's; and when he found I wouldn't, but wasgoin' to give the whole thing away, he blew up like a leaky b'iler.
"I ain't been sneakin'!" he yelled. "And I ain't broke no agreement,neither. You and Mr. Jacobs agreed--but I never. I see Parkinson on myown hook; and if it hadn't been for me he wouldn't be goin' to give youthe contract."
_'I ain't been sneakin'!' he yelled._]
There 'twas, out of the bag. I looked at Georgianna. Her pretty facewent white. That contract meant all creation to her; but she stood up tothe news like a major. She was plucky, that girl!
"Oh!" she says. "Oh! Then he has given you the contract? I--Icongratulate you, Cap'n Snow."
"Don't congratulate me," says I. "The contract ain't been given yet,though this pup says it's goin' to be; but, as for me, if I'd known whatwas goin' on I'd have stopped it mighty quick! I'm honorable and decent,and so's Jacobs; and we don't take underhanded advantages."
'Dolph bust out from astern of the counter.
"You don't, hey!" says he. "I want to know! How about Jacobs' takin' herto ride and callin' on her, and pretendin' to be dead gone on her? Whatdid he do that for? You know as well as I do. 'Twas so's to keep a watchon her, and not let Parkinson see her and be influenced into buyin'Eureka screens. You know it!"
My own face grew red now, I cal'late.
"You--you--" I begun. "You miserable liar--"
"'Tain't a lie," says he. "I heard him tell you with my own ears. Hesaid all he was beauin' her round for was just that. If that ain't aunderhanded trick then I don't know what is."
I wanted to say lots more; but, afore I could get my talkin' machineryto runnin', the Lentz girl herself spoke.
"Is that true, Cap'n Snow?" says she.
I was set back forty fathom.
"Well, miss," says I, "I--I--"
"Is that true?" says she.
I got out my handkerchief and swabbed my forehead.
"Well, Miss Georgianna," says I, "I'll tell you. Jim Henry--Mr. Jacobs,I mean--did say somethin' like that; but--but--Well, you wanted to betrea
ted like a salesman, and--er--Mr. Jacobs would have kept his eye ona man, you know; and so--and so--"
I stopped again. 'Twas the shoalest water ever I cruised in. All I coulddo was mop away with the handkerchief and look at Georgianna. Andshe--well, the color, and plenty of it, begun to come back to hercheeks. And how her brown eyes did flash!
"I see," she says, slow and so frosty I pretty nigh shivered. "I--see!"
"Well," says I, "'tain't anything I'm proud of, I will admit; but--"
"One moment, if you please. You haven't actually got the contract yet?"
"No. As I told you, all I know is what this consarned fo'mast hand ofmine says. For what he's done, I'm ashamed as I can be. As for Mr.Jacobs, I know he did keep to the letter of the agreement, anyhow. Forthe rest--Well, all's fair in love and war, they say--and there'sprecious little love in business."
She looked at me, with a queer little smile about the corners of herlips, though her eyes wa'n't smilin', by a consider'ble sight.
"Isn't there?" she says. "I--I wonder. Good-by, Cap'n Snow. You mighttell Mr. Jacobs not to order those Nonesuch screens just yet."
Out she went; and for the next five minutes I had a real enjoyable time.I told 'Dolph Cahoon just what I thought of him--that took four of theminutes; durin' the other one I fired him and run him out of the officeby the scruff of the neck.
Then Mary Blaisdell and me held officers' council, and that ended by ourdecidin' not to tell Jim Henry that the Lentz girl knew why he'd been sofriendly with her. It wouldn't do any good and might make him feel bad.Besides, the contract was as good as got, 'cordin' to 'Dolph's yarn; and'twa'n't likely he'd see Georgianna again, anyway. When he come back Itold him I'd fired Cahoon for bein' no good and sassy, and he agreed I'ddone just right.
When I said good night to him he was chipper as could be; but next dayhe was blue as a whetstone--and the blueness seemed to strike in, so tospeak. He didn't take any interest in anything--moped round, glum andugly; and I couldn't get him to talk at all. If I mentioned the screencontract he shut up like a quahaug, and only once did he give an opinionabout it. That opinion was a surprisin' one, though.
Alpheus Perkins was in the store, and says he:
"Say, Mr. Jacobs," he says, "is old Parkinson, the hotel man, cal'latin'to get married again? I see him out ridin' with a girl yesterday? Thatfemale screen drummer--that Georgianna Lentz, 'twas. She's a daisy,ain't she! I don't blame him much for takin' a shine to her."
Jim Henry didn't make any answer; but, knowin' what I did, I was alittle surprised.
"Jim," says I, "that contract--"
"D--n the contract!" says he, and cleared out and left us.
I was astonished, but I guessed 'twas a healthy plan to keep my hatchesclosed.
When I opened the mail a few mornin's later I found a letter with theWest Ostable Hotel's name printed on the envelope. I figgered I knewwhat was inside. Thinks I: "Here's the acceptance of our bid!" But myfiggers was on the wrong side of the ledger. Parkinson wrote just a fewwords, but they was enough. After considerin' the matter careful, hewrote, he had decided the Eureka to be a better screen than theNonesuch; and, though our bid was a trifle lower, he should give theEureka folks the contract.
"Well!" says I out loud. "Well, I'll--be--blessed!"
Jim Henry was settin' at his desk--we was all alone in the store--and helooked up.
"What are you askin' a blessin' over?" says he.
I handed him the letter. He read it through and set for a full minutewithout speakin'. Then he slammed it into the wastebasket and got up andstarted to go away.
"For thunder sakes!" I sung out. "What ails you? Ain't you goin' to saynothin' at all?"
"What is there to say?" he asked, gruff. "We're stung--and that's theend of it."
"But--but--don't you realize--Why, our bid was the lowest! And yet thecontract--"
He whirled on me savage.
"Didn't I tell you," says he, "that I didn't give a durn about thecontract?"
"You don't! _You_ don't! Then who on airth does?"
"I don't know and I don't care!"
"You don't care! I swan to man! Why, 'twas you that swore you'd put thescreens in that hotel or die tryin'. You said 'twas a matter ofprinciple with you. And now that the Eureka folks have beat us by someshenanigan or other--for our bid was lower than theirs--you say youdon't care! Have you gone loony? What _do_ you care about?"
"Nothin'--much," says he, and flopped down in his chair again.
I stared at him. All at once I begun to see a light. You'd have thoughtanybody that wa'n't stone blind would have seen it afore--but I hadn't.You see, I cal'lated that I knew him from trunk to keelson, and so itnever once occurred to me. I riz and walked over to him. Just as I doneso, I heard the front door open and shut, but I figgered 'twas Marycomin' back, and didn't even look. I laid my hand on his shoulder.
"Jim," says I, "I guess likely I understand. I declare I'm sorry! Andyet I wouldn't wonder if--"
I didn't go on. He wa'n't payin' any attention, but was lookin' over thetop of his desk--lookin' with all the eyes in his head. I looked, too,and caught my breath with a jerk. The person who'd come in wa'n't MaryBlaisdell, but Georgianna Lentz.
She saw us and walked straight down to where we was. She was kind ofpale and her eyes looked as if she'd been awake all night; but when shespoke 'twas right to the point--there wa'n't any hesitation about her.
"Cap'n Snow," says she, "have you heard from Mr. Parkinson?"
"Yes," says I, wonderin; "we've heard. We don't understand exactly, butperhaps that ain't necessary. I cal'late all there is left for us to dois to offer congratulations and 'go 'way back and set down,' as the boyssay. You've got the contract."
"Yes," she says; "it has been given to me. But--"
Jim Henry stood up. "You'll excuse me," he says, sharp. "I'm busy."
He started to go, but she stopped him.
"No," she says; "I want you both to hear what I've got to say. Mr.Parkinson gave me the contract yesterday; but I have decided not to takeit."
We both looked at her.
"You--you've what?" says I. "Not take it? You want it, don't you?"
"Yes," she says, quiet but determined, "I want it--or I did want itvery, very much. It meant so much to me--now--and might mean a greatdeal more in the future; but I can't take it."
This was too many for me. I looked at Jacobs. He didn't say a word.
"I can't take it," says Georgianna, "under the circumstances. I don'tfeel that I got it fairly. We agreed, you and I, that no personalinfluence should be brought to bear upon Mr. Parkinson; and I"--sheblushed a little, but kept right on--"I have seen Mr. Parkinson severaltimes durin' the past week."
I thought of her bein' to ride with the hotel man, but I didn't sayanything. Jim Henry, though, started again to go. And again she stoppedhim.
"Wait, please!" she went on. "I didn't go to him--you must understandthat! But after what you, Cap'n Snow, and that Mr. Cahoon told me theother day I was hurt and angry. I felt that you had broken youragreement with me. So when Mr. Parkinson came to see me I didn't avoidhim as I had been doin'. I--I accepted invitations for drives with him,and--and--Oh, don't you see? I couldn't take the contract. I couldn't!What would you think of me? What would I think of myself? No, my mind ismade up. I'm afraid"--with a half smile that had more tears than fun init--"that my experience in business hasn't been a success. I shall giveit up and go back to stenography--or somethin'. There! Good-by. I'm surethat the Nonesuch screen will win now. Good-by!"
And now 'twas she that started to go and Jim Henry that stopped her.
"Wait!" says he, sharp. "There's somethin' here I don't understand. Whatdo you mean by what the Cap'n and Cahoon told you the other day?Skipper, what have you been doin'?"
I wished there was a crack or a knothole handy for me to crawl into; butthere wa'n't, so I braced up best I could.
"Why, Jim," says I, "I ain't told you the whole of that business I fired'Dolph for. Seems he'd been se
ein' Parkinson on his own hook and pullin'wires for the Nonesuch. 'Twas a sneakin' mean trick, and I knew 'twouldmake you mad same as it done me; so I didn't tell you. 'Twas for that Ibounced him."
Jim Henry's fists shut.
"The toad!" says he. "I wish I'd been there. Wait till I get my hands onhim! I'll--"
"But you mustn't," put in Georgianna. "I hope you don't think I carewhat such a creature as he might do. When I first came here he--Oh, whycan't people forget that I'm a girl!"
I could have answered that, but I didn't. Jacobs asked another question.
"Then, if it wa'n't 'Dolph, who was it?" says he. "Parkinson?"
"No!" with a flash of her eyes. "Certainly not. Mr. Parkinson is agentleman; but--but I don't like him--that is, I don't dislike himexactly; but--"
She was dreadful fussed up. Jim Henry was between her and the door,though, and he kept right on with his questions.
"Then what was the trouble?" he said, brisk.
I answered for her.
"Well, Jim," says I, "there was somethin' else. You see, 'Dolph got madwhen I sailed into him, and he come back at me by tellin' what you saidabout your callin' on Miss Lentz here--and takin' her autoin' and such.How you said you was doin' it so's to keep a watch on her--that's all. Icouldn't deny that you did say it, you know--because you did!"
Jim's face was a sight to see--a sort of combination of sheepishness andshame, mixed with another look, almost of joy--or as if he'd got theanswer to a puzzle that had been troublin' him.
The Lentz girl spoke up quick.
"Of course," she says, "I understand now why you did it. Then Iwas--was--Well, it did hurt me to think that I hadn't seen through thescheme, and for a while I felt that you hadn't been true to ouragreement; but, now that I have had time to think, I understand. Youpromised to treat me exactly as if I were a man; and, as Cap'n Snowsaid, if I were a man you would have kept me in sight. It's all right!But"--with a sigh--"I realize that I'm not fitted for business--thiskind of business. I don't blame you, though. Good-by. I must go!"
Lettin' her go, however, was the last thing Jim intended doin' justthen. He stepped for'ard and caught her by the hand.
"Georgianna," says he, eager, "you know what you're sayin' isn't true. Idid tell the Cap'n that yarn about watchin' you. He'd seen me with youand I had to tell him somethin'; but it was a lie--every word of it! Youknow it was."
She tried to pull her hand away, but he hung on to it as if 'twas thelast life-preserver on a sinkin' ship. I cal'late he'd forgot I was onearth.
"You were keeping your promise," she said. "You were treatin' me as youwould if I were a man! Please let me go, Mr. Jacobs; I have told youthat I didn't blame you."
"Nonsense!" says he. "If I had done that I ought to be hung! A man!Treat you like a man! Do you suppose if you were a man I should--"
That was the last word I heard. I was bound for the front platform, andmakin' some headway for a craft of my age and build. I have got somesense and I know when three's a crowd!
I didn't go back until they called me. I give the pair of 'em one lookand then I shook hands with 'em up to the elbows. Georgianna wasblushin', and her eyes were damp, but shinin' like masthead lights on arainy night. As for Jim Henry Jacobs, he was one broad grin.
"Well," says I, after I'd said all the joyful things I could think of,"one point ain't settled even yet--who's goin' to get that screencontract? There ain't any love in business, you know."
"Humph!" says Jim Henry. "I wonder!"
I laughed out loud.
"Why," says I, "that's exactly what Georgianna here said t'otherday--she wondered!"
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